


When Your Colour Has Faded (We Will Paint It Back)

by LittleMissAgrafina



Series: Discord Challenges [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Awesome May Parker (Spider-Man), Depressed Peter Parker, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Irondad, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark Coparenting Peter Parker, Mental Health Issues, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Feels, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, References to Depression, Spideraunt, Spideraunt??, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, What would May's tag be?, Yup i like that lol, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29700993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissAgrafina/pseuds/LittleMissAgrafina
Summary: "Peter, wha-" May started to ask before Peter cut her off, words suddenly spilling over where a moment ago there had been none."I don't have colour anymore. I'm dull, faded, and I don't know how to get myself back." Peter's voice was small, the almost numb resignation in it striking May and Tony to their cores."I'm not who I used to be. I'm a broken pallet with dried up, cracking paint where I used to be bright, and colourful and I don't know what to do. I don't- I don't know how to get me back." The teenager's voice cracked on the last few words, desperation and despair shining in his eyes.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Discord Challenges [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127978
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42





	When Your Colour Has Faded (We Will Paint It Back)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys. So this one is a little more personal to me since it's a bit of a vent fic. I've been having a rough time with my mental health and this is the sort of scenario that I wish would happen if I ever spoke to my family irl about how I feel. Hope you like it♡  
> Now, this is very much not edited and very rough so I apologise for any and all mistakes.  
> Hope you like it!

  
  


Peter didn't realise just how bad it had gotten until he walked past a park one day on his way home from school. The ringing laughter of happy children stopping him in his tracks, a sudden deep ache settling itself in his chest as he realised just how long it had been since he truly laughed.

  
  


Months. It had been months. That was how long it had been since Peter had felt his chest and cheeks pain from laughter and smiles.

  
  


It stole his breath and made his heart hurt to realise just how unhappy he was. How every single day had faded into a hazy routine. 

  
  


Get up, go to school, go home, patrol, spend time with May if she wasn't working, do homework, try to sleep, fail, get up, repeat. Over and over he followed it, slowly growing more apathetic and fatigued as time went on.

  
  


The only differences to that schedule was when he would spend his day after school in the lab with Tony or when he did something together with Ned or MJ.

  
  


The repetition was exhausting in a way but it was the only way that Peter knew how to get through each day. The familiarity of his routine was the only thing stopping him from falling off an edge that he had no idea he was balancing on.

  
  


That edge became known the moment his feet stopped moving, the moment he heard a child laugh, the moment he froze and realised that the world around him was full of colour. It was bright and beautiful but it hurt because he wasn't a part of it anymore.

  
  


Peter's colour was gone, turned to muted, ugly shades that made him wish for the emerald hues of the trees or the rich blue which nestled behind the clouds. 

  
  


The awareness of what he lacked, of what he had lost, was quickly turning into a lump in his throat and a tremor in his hands.

  
  


Clenching his fingers, twisting them into fists at his side, Peter shoved down the surge of grief at the parts of himself he now knew he had lost and carried on walking home.

  
  


He would go through the motions, follow his routine, because if he didn't he would fall from the ledge and Peter wasn't ready for the fall.

  
  


Not this fall. Not one that not even his web shooters could not catch him from.

  
  


So Peter pushed his realization and grayscale down and carried on walking. All the while wishing he could forget the moment he heard laughter and knew it wasn't his to have anymore.

  
  
  


\---

  
  
  


Both May and Tony had noticed that Peter was different. That he was less vibrant and bubbly then he usually was. 

  
  


At first they had brushed it aside, thinking he might have just been burned out from all of the school and extracurriculars that he was so busy with but when his workloads balanced and calmed down and Peter only seemed to be getting worse, they realised it was more than just that. 

  
  


And so they watched Peter. Watched as the bags under his eyes grew despite both Tony and May trying to make sure he slept enough.

  
  


They watched as he grew more and more lethargic, as he withdrew into himself and his eyes started to dull.

  
  


They watched and they didn't know what to do because everytime that either May or Tony had tried to ask him how he was really doing, ask him if he was okay, he would shut them down and answer with a clearly false  _ I'm fine  _ before Peter went scampering off with one excuse or another.

  
  


They all knew that Peter wasn't okay but nothing could be done until Peter himself decided he was ready to face it.

  
  


May and Tony could only wait and hope that time would be soon.

  
  
  


\---

  
  
  


It all came to a head on a Tuesday Tony would usually come over to their apartment for dinner.

  
  


Peter walked into the apartment, not stopping to greet them, and headed straight to his room. He marched back out and stood in front of the table that his aunt and  dad mentor were seated at.

  
  


The two adults were slightly taken aback at the almost wild look in his eyes. 

  
  


Peter opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, his hands twisting and fingers shaking with minute tremors.

  
  


With a concerned glance out the corner of her eye towards Tony, May stood up and guided Peter to take a seat across from them.

  
  


"Peter, wha-" May started to ask before Peter cut her off, words suddenly spilling over where a moment ago there had been none.

  
  


"I don't have colour anymore. I'm dull, faded, and I don't know how to get myself back." Peter's voice was small, the almost numb resignation in it striking May and Tony to their cores. 

  
  


"I'm not who I used to be. I'm a broken pallet with dried up, cracking paint where I used to be bright, and colourful and I don't know what to do. I don't- I don't know how to get  _ me  _ back." The teenager's voice cracked on the last few words, desperation and despair shining in his eyes.

  
  


May got up quickly, crossing around the table and pulling Peter up into an almost crushing hug. It was warm and comforting, just as it had always been.

  
  


When May spoke her voice was filled with a sad ferocity. "Peter Benjamin Parker, you are not broken. You are struggling and that is okay."

  
  


Peter looked up at her and felt a few tears leak down his cheeks. He didn't know what to say to that, didn't know how to believe it because if he wasn't broken then why did he  _ feel _ so broken?

  
  


"Peter, Bambino, you aren't broken." Tony spoke up, moving towards them and resting a hand over the back of Peter's neck. "Sure, maybe there are a few cracks or chips but you know what we'll do about those?" The man asked, brushing away Peter's tears.

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"We'll fill in those cracks with gold and the chips with every colour that you could ever dream of." 

  
  


May smiled at Tony and hugged Peter closer for a moment before releasing him. "We'll help you get your colours back, Tesoro, I promise you. You don't have to do this alone."

  
  


Tony nodded his agreement, pulling Peter into a hug of his own as well. "We'll all help you. May and I, Pep, Rhodey, Happy. We're all here for you, Roo."

  
  


Peter reached over and pulled May in to join in their hug, his aunt's arms joining with Tony's to hold her family close to her. Her nephew who was as good as her son and a man that had become a friend.

  
  


"Peter? If you  _ were _ broken do you know what I would say?" May asked him softly.

  
  


"Hmm?." He acknowledged, content for now to stand with their warmth and love wrapped around him.

  
  


"I would say that broken crayons can still colour." 

  
  


"Thank you." Was all that he whispered but the two adults knew that his meaning far extended those two words and, in return, he understood that their answer did as well.

  
  


"You're welcome."

  
  
  
  



End file.
